Junior Seau remembrance: Billy Ray Smith

SEAU'S 1990 SEASON: It didn't take long for Seau to make his presence felt with the Chargers on and off the field. In 1990, his rookie season, he played in all 16 of San Diego's games, starting all but one. He had 85 tackles, including a sack. And many teammates say that, by the end of the season, he was already a team leader, especially among defensive players.

SEAU'S 1990 SEASON: It didn't take long for Seau to make his presence felt with the Chargers on and off the field. In 1990, his rookie season, he played in all 16 of San Diego's games, starting all but one. He had 85 tackles, including a sack. And many teammates say that, by the end of the season, he was already a team leader, especially among defensive players.

“What I didn’t realize is that Junior was able to get my credit card and send flowers to every single female who worked for the Chargers,” Smith said with a smile. “It was a beautiful thing. I wish I would have thought of it.”

That, Smith says, was Junior Seau in a nutshell. He had his own style and his teammates couldn’t help but love it.

“You don’t find rookies doing practical jokes back to the veterans who had been there,” Smith said. “But Junior was different. He was always different.”

Smith and Seau played parts of three different seasons together, from 1990-92. Smith is remembered for handing the defense’s proverbial leadership torch over to Seau during that time.

Seau was ready for it.

“One of the greatest football players from the beginning,” Smith said “He was NFL ready the day he stepped out on the field with a Chargers helmet on.”